Shadow at the Foot of Kohi Rohini
Odokh lies at the base of Kohi Rohini — the Mountains of the Dawn, where the first light of morning strikes jagged peaks before touching the steppe. It is among the most remote towns in Khuzait lands, once part of the Devseg territories long before Urkhun’s riders imposed unity.
The mountains loom close. Their presence dominates the skyline. Snow lingers high even in warmer months. At dawn, the peaks glow red-gold, and at dusk they darken into silhouettes that swallow light.
Odokh does not feel like the steppe.
It feels watched.
Local legend claims that Odokh was once the seat of King Ahhak, a tyrant of myth from whose shoulders flowed serpents. Stories describe him as both ruler and sorcerer — a man whose presence twisted loyalty and fear into the same emotion.
No ruins clearly confirm this legend. Yet old stone foundations buried beneath Odokh’s current structures predate Khuzait conquest and even Devseg settlement.
The Kohi Rohini mountains carry a reputation for:
Strange rites
Hidden shrines
Isolated ascetics
Whispered curses
Outsiders rarely travel deep into those slopes willingly.
This reputation, whether truth or superstition, serves Odokh well. It discourages invasion as effectively as any wall.
When Urkhun expanded westward, Odokh did not fall easily. The Harfit clan led the campaign into the mountain approaches. Instead of annihilating the mountain peoples, they intermarried with them.
The Harfit chose absorption over eradication.
Today, Odokh is ruled by Akrum Beg of Clan Harfit, whose bloodline blends steppe and mountain ancestry. The Harfit:
Honor local Devseg rituals
Maintain mountain alliances
Protect sacred sites from outside interference
Guard old secrets fiercely
This makes them both respected and distrusted within the Khanate.
Odokh is quieter than Makeb and less martial than Baltakhand.
Its streets wind tighter. Stone structures lean inward. Timber beams are carved with symbols unfamiliar to most steppe riders.
Markets here sell:
Mountain herbs
Dark resin incense
Carved talismans
Rare minerals
Goat wool and highland cheeses
The air smells faintly of pine, smoke, and something older.
Horses are present, but mountain ponies share space with steppe breeds.
Though remote, Odokh matters for several reasons:
It guards mountain passes leading eastward.
It controls access to highland resources.
It serves as buffer against unknown forces beyond Kohi Rohini.
It is not a wealthy trade capital — it is a defensive anchor and cultural anomaly.
If Odokh were lost, the Khanate’s eastern mountain flank would open to unpredictable threats.
Karahan – Mountain grazing and hardy livestock breeding.
Nutyuk – Herbalist settlement harvesting rare mountain plants.
Danara – Stone quarry and mineral extraction village.
These villages tie Odokh to both mountain and steppe economies.
Odokh feels:
Older than the Khanate
Darker than the steppe
Proud but secretive
Deeply rooted in ritual
Where Makeb roars with water,
Baltakhand cuts with frost,
Odokh whispers.